good morning. angry in america. frustrated voters jam internet and phone lines to congress where lawmakers can't seem to reach agreement on the debt ceiling debate. this is house speaker john boehner abruptly postpones a vote on his own plan. we'll go live to capitol hill. no jail, the georgia mother facing more time behind bars for jay walking than the hit and run driver who killed her 4-year-old son spared a prison sentence, but she was given a difficult choice. she'll explain that in an exclusive live interview. olympic tragedy. even as organizers mark the one-year countdown to the 2012 summer games in london, word that winter olympian jarrett

speedy peterson takes his own life. speedy peterson takes his own life. july 27, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> i'm ann curry. as next tuesday's deadline gets closer, it seems the anger is getting louder among many citizens. americans are just fed up with the stalemate. >> and they're letting people in washingt know about it. the latest setback came last night whun speaker boehner was told by the congressional budget office his proposal would cut spending far less than advertised. now, that fact drew instant criticism from both parties. we'll get the latest from washington and we'll speak to one senator who has been in all the meetings so far. we'll talk to him. also this morning, imagine not being able to go to your

child's school functions or coach their sports teams or find certain jobs. a father of four in texas has dealt with that for more than 15 years because he is a registered sex offender. coming up, the story behind what landed him on that list. he's going to be sharing that in a live interview. >> interesting story. it's going to generate a lot of debate. a year away from the opening ceremony of the london olympic games. we'll head that live to check out the celebration. >> it will be fun to talk about that, but, boy, we have sad news this morning about speedy peterson. he took his own life. he spent a lot of time with us over the years. but he had some demons now. we're going to talk about that as we tell you what happened. we're going to begin on this wednesday morning with the growing frustration over the inability of lawmakers to reach a deal on raising the debt ceiling. kelly o'donnell is on capitol hill. good morning. >> good morning. time was already a problem. and now this unexpected setback

for speaker boehner and his plan to raise the debt limit and reduce the debt. the number crunchers from the nonpartisan congressional budget office say it didn't add up, the savings were not as great. speaker boehner's team is going back to find more cuts just as the public is increasingly frustrated. that ringing heard across the capitol is the sound of frustration. >> good afternoon. how may i help you? >> reporter: constituents stuck on hold. >> average wait time is about 60 minutes. >> reporter: while congress is just stuck. unable to for a deal to prevent the country's first ever default. an issue for republicans has been this promise. >> there's more cuts than spending, then you have an increase in the debt limit. >> reporter: then a setback on tuesday night. the congressional budget office did the math and found the boehner plan came up short on spending cuts.

$150 billion less than expected. speaker boehner responded, this is what can happen when you have an actual plan and submit it for independent review, which the democrats who run washington have refused to do. a real hurdle, house republican blake and top aides went in search of deeper cuts. the vote delayed. more trouble came from an agency that rates the country's credit. appearing on cnbc tuesday night standard & poor's was critical of the boehner's plans two stages for raising the debt limit. >> we could be concerned if we thought that the debt ceiling debate would come back and be opened and we would have to go through all this again and again and again. >> that would be a negative? >> that would be a negative, in our view. >> reporter: the white house urged congress to take the deadline seriously. >> but it is past the graveyard to suggest that this is some sort of game and we're not serious. and that the risks aren't enormous, because they are. >> reporter: senate democrats have their own plan in the wings, predicting boehner's will fail. >> it's dead on arrival in the

senate, if they get it out of the house. >> reporter: boehner is backed by senate republican leader mitch mcconnell who also said he gives more to get a deal that can pass. >> i'm prepared to accept something less than perfect because perfect is not achievable. >> reporter: and that's the dilemma. what to do in so little time left. behind the scenes negotiations between the senate and the house continue and speaker boehner and his team are trying to figure out when they can get a vote. the best guess we have right now is instead of tonight, it will be sometime tomorrow. but we've seen all through this process deadlines seem to slip. matt? >> kelly o'connell on capitol hill this morning. democratic senator dick durbin of illinois has played an active role in the negotiations over the past few weeks. senator, good to see you. >> thanks, matt. >> you've seen the plans, the counter proposals. is there anything on paper, on the table, or on the horizon right now, senator, that you think stands a chance of being passed in time?

>> yes, i think we're going to solve this, but i can tell you we learned a bitter lesson. on monday night he said i have a plan to get us through a crisis and avoid the first default ever on the debt of the united states of america. by yesterday, his plan had been rejected by the ratings agencies and even by his own caucus up to 100 republican members said they wouldn't support it. we have to get back to basics here. we've got the understand that we have show a lot of bravery and bluff when we're playing with other people's chips. what's at stake here is a weak economy. we've got to be careful we don't fault into default, raise interest rates and kill jobs across america. >> john boehner is going to go back to the drawing board and look for deeper cuts in that two-step plan and come back and try and vote on that perhaps tomorrow. do you think it will have wide spread support with the additional $150 billion in cuts? >> no, i don't. i can tell you that what we're facing here is a republican caucus that is basically showing

its political bravery by giving up medicare benefits for elderly people, increasing the cost for student loans by working families, cutting money for medical research. there comes a point where we stand up and say this country is in a weak position, we need to create jobs, come together with sensible spending cuts. i worked with this gang of six, bipartisan effort to put everything, underline everything on the table. it's the only sensible way to deal with the deficit. >> the president said if the boehner plan ever gets to his desk, signal that he would veto it. would you advise him to do that or is that political posturing? >> i can tell you what the president is reflecting. we are told by the rating agencies that if we don't do something serious and meaningful, if we don't address not only the debt ceiling, that we're going to see america's credit rating reduced and the interest rates go up. the president doesn't want that to happen. that's a job killer. speaker boehner has to realize

this is the more of the cheers from his caucus that he's looking for. we have to put the party considerations on the side. >> one thing that seems to be crystal clear is that the american people are fed up, after dueling speeches on monday night with the president pointed a finger of blame at the republicans and the speaker of the house pointed a finger of blame at the president. the phone lines lit up in washington, tweets were sent to senators, e-mails. what are you personally hearing in your office from your constituents in this matter? >> i've been through this many, many times. i can tell you that both sides can generate a lot of telephone calls, a lot of e-mails and a lot of messages. at the end of the day you've got to decide what is best for this country. what i'm appealing to speaker boehner to do is to set aside some of the partisan differences. both sides have to come together, both sides have to be willing to give. this idea my way or the highway, the old cliche, doesn't work when you have the america economy at stake.

>> real quickly, this is not a quick answer, i'm sure, but, don't the american people deserve better than this? i mean -- >> they do. >> -- than the process that we unfortunately are seeing exposed right now? >> absolutely, matt. look at congress and say this is so dysfunctional, if you can't get it to the and reach an agreement like grown-ups, for goodness sakes, we may need another team on the field. >> senator, thanks for joining us this morning. it's 7:09. here's ann. >> thanks. now the tragedy in norway where the names of the victims of those deadly terror attacks are now being made public. nbc's martin fletcher is in oslo again this morning for us with details on this. good morning. >> good morning. it's taken five days to begin releasing the names of the victims. so much confusion here. the number of dead dropped from the first police announcement of 93 to 76, so that sounds more relief and all the while norway has been hit by shock and confusion. here they say it with flowers.

the cathedral has been the focus of norway's grief. only now five days after the bombing and the massacre are they putting faces to the anguish. names of the victims are being released. mostly politically engaged teenagers. they say here the best of the generation, dead. a dancer, 20-year-old who made it on to norway's got talent. 19-year-old, a student politician. this man's family called him a big bear, killed while trying to save his friends. some of the victims were immigrants or children of immigrants, people hated so much by the killer, 32-year-old anders breivik. he used bullets to explode inside the body. they said they had never seen so much destruction. survivors are traumatized. >> i knew it was over. i knew this was, i'm going to die now.

>> reporter: adrian, 21 years old. >> screamed out that he was going to kill us all that this was the day that we must dionne. >> reporter: adrian was shot in the neck and shoulder. he played dead. and anders breivik moved on. most of the teenagers had cell phones and called home. anguished parents called the police, and some texted their children throughout the ordeal. the first message from judy, 16 years old, mummy, tell the police to come quick. people are dying here. her mother couldn't leave the kitchen table. she answered, the police know. they've had many calls. give a sign of life every five minutes. julie, we are in fear of our lives. mother, i understand. stay hidden. as minutes dragged by and he killed teenagers one by one. julie texted again, i love you even if i misbehave from time to time. mother, i know that, my darling. we love you very much. that went on for an hour.

julie survived, unharmed. now, it's impossible to imagine the anguish in almost 600 homes, the number of the people on the island, and the number of the people who feel that at least it's all over, bar the trauma. >> martin, thank you. my gosh. what a tragedy. >> haunting e-mail exchange. let us get over to the news desk right now. natalie is standing by with the other headlines of the morning. good morning. >> good morning. a suicide bomber in afghanistan at sass nated the mayor of kandahar overnight. the taliban claimed responsibility. this as u.s. officials issue new warnings that the death of osama bin laden ratcheted up the risk of anti-american violence worldwide. the counter terrorism remain optimistic saying that al qaeda is on the brink op all-out collapse. house democrat has been arrested outside the white house during the protest against u.s. immigration policy. it was the second time the

congressman from illinois had been arrested at a white house demonstration. he has since been released. meantime, congressman david wu from oregon now says he will resign as soon as the debt ceiling crisis is resolved after allegations of sexual misconduct with an 18-year-old girl. senators are blasting airlines for hiking ticket prices as the faa undergo a partial shut down, this after congress failed to pass legislation last week to keep the agency fully operational. and while the faa is on hold, airlines are not able to collect ticket taxes which add up to $200 million per week, so they started raising fares without authorization. now let's head to wall street. cnbc's melissa lee is at the new york stock exchange. >> slow going lower on worries about the debt ceiling impasse as well as the august deadline. the date to worry about may actually august 15th. some economists and analysts say the treasury has enough cash to

meet obligations in mid august including a $23 billion social security payment. meantime, they will be focusing on doughnuts, not the breakfast but initial public offering. dunkin donuts, $20 a share. natalie? >> thank you. some dramatic rescues overnight from the rising waters from south korea'sed floods. torrential rain caused a landslide today that killed more than 30 people northeast of the capital. many of those killed were college students doing volunteer work. hailed as a hero after he discovered a woman whose car had slid to the edge of a 300 foot cliff. the woman remained seriously injured in her car for 20 hours until he found her and alerted rescuers. the jogger even climbed down the cliff and stayed perched by her car until authorities could get there to rescue her. she is now recovering from her injuries. and could this be the first lady's next dress designer?

that's 12-year-old grant miller. and while he may be young, his dresses ooze sophistication beyond his years. his muse, by the way, michelle obama said he is open to seeing the young designer's orchid inspired dress sketched there just for her. i think it looks absolutely gorgeous. she would look beautiful in it. 7:15 right now. let's turn it back over to ann, matt, and al. >> oozes sophistication.

>> here at home, we have a nice, refreshing change in the air mass. humidity is down. still going to be a warm day. it is going to feel comfortable. >> and that's your latest weather. >> al, thank you very much. as question mentioned, the 2012 olympic games in london open a year from right now. but the olympic community is marking it with a very heavy

right. jeret "speedy" peterson took his own life on monday. natalie is here with more on this tragic story. we knew him well. >> we did. tragic loss when we got the news this morning. this morning his family is saying they're grateful for the incredible support jeret received in his amazing journey. this is actually one of the happier moments, at the top of his game, headed for the vancouver olympics he was hanging out with us and, of course, earn the silver medal there in vancouver. over the years, i got to know speedy as a friend and he was always brilliant on the sleeps but life would deal hard blows off the slopes. for jeret "speedy" peterson life was sometimes out of control. last friday he was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, going nearly three times over the speed limit. but the tragic conclusion on monday at just 29 years old the

olympic star died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. he called police moments beforehand telling them where they would find his body. this is how jeret peterson will also be remembered, at his finest. performing his signature hurricane, three flips and five twists, which only he could do, living up to the nickname he around as a kid, speedy. at the 2010 vancouver olympics he nailed it. for a silver medal win. >> how did it feel to land that, speedy? >> oh, that was an amazing experience. >> reporter: it was a comeback after his troubles at the 2006 olympics in torino. the blow when he failed to win a medal, and then forced to leave the games early for a drunken altercation while celebrating with the team. >> at the end of the day -- >> reporter: in an interview before the 2010 games speedy admitted to his wrongs and was ready to prove he learned a

painful lesson. >> you were 24 years old in torino. you sound like you matured a lot more. >> i have. >> what do you think was the change? >> i've had a lot of issues in my life that have been challenging for me lately. i don't drink anymore. that was a huge one for me. i had some troubles with depression and suicide. >> reporter: it was life's twists and turns that perhaps were the most difficult of all for speedy. at around 18 months old he was sexually abused by a family member. he doesn't remember it but his mother told him about it. he went on to become a victim's advocate. his sister was killed by a drunk driver when he was 5. in 2005 he witnessed a roommate commit suicide. that same year hfs charged with breaking into a home and stealing weapons. >> i was trying my best to focus, but unfortunately i didn't have the correct tools to try and fix this issue that i had going on. >> reporter: but you would never know speedy carried such an

emotional burden. >> olympic training when you've got the tango? >> if my coaches knew what i was doing right now. >> reporter: we got to know him over the years. in torino he was with his whole family including his grandmother on the night on the town and he was my personal instructor leading up to vancouver giving me pointers on aerial stunts. in vancouver they joined us for more nighttime fun. always charming with a heart of gold. his anguish deep below the surface. but in the air, when he soared, he found happiness. >> you're 55 feet up there, what are you thinking about? >> it's extremely peaceful. i guess i'm just not good right side up. i have to be upside-down. i like being upside-down in the air. it's something that i've always been naturally comfortable with. >> emily cook, speedy's teammate on the u.s. ski team said, quote, in addition to being the incredible athlete that we all knew, speedy was a true friend.

his loyalty and commitment to each of his teammates was unwavering and he will be missed by all who knew and loved him. he was such a sweet young man. so charming. he was a self-described adrenaline junkie, two speeds, go and then crash and fall asleep. it was life's quieter moments that got to him. >> one of america's great talents. our thought are with his family. >> you didn't see any of this coming, we didn't when we saw him because that sport, what he did, they're always seen as such free-wheeling, free-spirits, have a good time. and we never got to see -- at loose i never got to see that darker side of him, what was going on in his life. >> exactly. >> the morning after he was having such a great time, signing autographs, taking pictures with people. >> a fan favorite. >> definitely. and a thrill to watch on the slopes. >> yeah. >> thanks, natalie. >> sure. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

just ahead this morning the mother convicted after her 4-year-old son was hit and killed after they tried to cross a busy street, spares jail time. we'll talk to her exclusively. on a lighter note, live to london for the one-year countdown to the 2012 olympic games. where'd you get that idea? how'd you learn to do that? what'd you use? every project we finish comes with a story built-in. it's how our rough ideas become "you did that yourself?" so when we can save more on the projects that let us fix, make, and do more... that just makes the stories even better. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. add some style to your sink, with this moen banbury faucet for the new lower price of 79 bucks. really? 25 grams of protein. what do we have?

all four of us, together? 24. he's low fat, too, and has 5 grams of sugars. i'll believe it when i--- [ both ] oooooh... what's shakin'? [ female announcer ] as you get older, protein is an important part of staying active and strong. new ensure high protein... fifty percent of your daily value of protein. low fat and five grams of sugars. see? he's a good egg. [ major nutrition ] new ensure high protein. ensure! nutrition in charge! we made a miracle. and we got onesies! sometimes miracles get messy. so we use tide free. no perfumes or dyes for her delicate skin. brad. not it. not it. just kidding. that's our tide. what's yours? hello parents, it's going to be your kids are going to climb just kiddrope. they're going to have a year long tug war with the ceiling. and by the time they get out of 8th grade, they're going to do it with sweat on their brow and achievement in their hearts. so, this is what they're gonna need: running shoes, t-shirts, tube socks, fruit cups, cheese sticks, energy bars, rope climbing gloves, rope burn ointment,

and a jump drive. not sure what that is, but they're gonna be jumpin'. school takes a lot. target has it all. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. time for a check on. the morning. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> we still have eight great to closure at fort mchenry. -- we still have a right to closure of fort mchenry. take the harbor tunnel as delays are developing there. and the 895 split, that is now gone. a little bit of a slows but towards the beltway northeast,

but not too bad in that area. if you are heading at cockeysville road and franklin valley road, we have an accident to report their. west said delays in place. here's a quick look outside, and we will show you what looks like at fort mchenry. right tube closed in the northbound direction. 895 easing up a bit as you travel southbound from the 95 merge. tony has a check on the forecast. >> nice start this wednesday. the front has shifted the winds to the north. humidity is going to be lower. 73 at the airport, 72 in westminster. mostly sunny skies. warm-up but nice. i get a job in the upper 80s to 90 degrees -- high-temperature in the upper 80s to 90 degrees.

93 tomorrow, close to 100 on friday. then it should be dry over the weekend. temperatures will stay in the 90's. >> check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information. back in 25 minutes with another live up at. -- live update.

7:30 now on this wednesday morning, the 27th day of july, 2011. it's hard to believe, a year away from the opening ceremonies of the london 2012 olympic games. so we're going to be heading to london live this morning. just ahead to talk about that. and we have a lot of people out here on the plaza with beeper foo -- bieber fever. we'll explain that coming up, as well. i'm with matt lauer. coming up just ahead, we have a very serious story that brought a lot of outrage to a lot of people. >> georgia mother facing time behind bars after someone else killed her 4-year-old son in a hit and run accident. she was looking at up to three

years in prison, even though the driver of the car was sentenced to just six months. now a judge has given that woman that mother, an interesting and difficult choice. we're going to talk to her about that in a live interview coming up. that's right. also, we're going to meet a 12-year-old boy living with a bebe lodged in his brain after his younger brother accidentally shot him in the face. we're going to talk about that and the dangers of bb guns coming up. and then the a father's frustration. a texas man married his high school sweetheart and went on to have four children with her, but because they had sex when they were dating, when she was underage, he landed on the sex ander list. coming up, why he says that is destroying his life. >> all right. but first, let's begin this half hour with that georgia mother who could have spent more time in jail than the hit and run driver who killed her son. we're going to talk to her in just a moment, but first, nbc is in marietta, georgia, with the latest on this story. lilia, good morning. >> good morning to you, ann.

raquel nelson's attorney was outraged at his client's conviction, now he says he's surprised at an unexpected twist in her case. along with her sentence raquel is being offered a brand new trial. >> if you will stand in the court right now. >> reporter: after facing the loss of her 4-year-old son to a hit and run driver -- >> you are found guilty -- >> reporter: raquel nelson appeared in court yesterday to face her own sentencing in a case that's angered many. in the spring of last year nelson and her three children got off the bus on this road in the atlanta area where options for pedestrians are very few. the closest crosswalk was a third of a mile away, so the family tried to cross four busy lanes of traffic to get home. >> i was trying to hurry up and get home so we wouldn't have to be in the dark. >> reporter: and that's when driver jerry guy struck them, killing little a.j. and injuring his mom and sister. guy, who had a previous

conviction admitted to drinking earlier that day. he served six months in prison and was released on probation. >> i know nobody wakes up and says on a day that i'm going to kill a 4-year-old. i've had to forgive that portion of it. however, i think to come after me so much harder than they did him is a slap in the face. >> reporter: a jury convicted the 30-year-old single mother on charges of second degree vehicular homicide, reckless conduct and jaywalking. her attorney was stunned and deeply upset. >> i was shocked, and i was wondering if they had heard the same case that i had heard. >> reporter: the case sparked wide spread outrage, more than 130,000 people petitioned online for leniency. nelson faced the possible three years in prison, but on tuesday a judge gave her the unusual choice of community service and serving one year on probation or go to trial again. >> i'm not familiar with this

ever happening. the judge took it upon herself to basically grant my client a new trial. i was very pleased with the decision. i think she made the right decision due to the facts in this case. >> reporter: which path nelson will take is still unclear. >> hopefully we can move on from this situation better than we have been. >> reporter: we reached out to prosecutors but they say they can't comment on the ruling because the case is technically still pending. >> thank you so much. raquel nelson is now joining us exclusively once again along with her aunt loretta williams. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> when you heard the judge say one year probation, what were your emotions? >> one year probation, it was better than jail time, of course, so i was just happy to be walking out of the courtroom. >> relieved. >> yes. >> knowing you're going to be able to see your children

without having to go back to jail. >> yes. >> the judge went further and offered you an opportunity to go through the trial again. do you want an opportunity to clear your record? >> that would be good, but my options right now, there's a part of me that doesn't really want to go through it again, but by the same token, i think, if i've done it once, then i will do it again. >> it's about a measure of how much faith you have in the system. >> that, also. >> so you're assessing that now. is that fair to say? >> it is. like i say, when she said what she said, it was a relief and i thought it was a wonderful thing. i mean, i probably could have kissed her if i could have. but it's a nice chance if i can start over, then that would be great, too, and this process is

not over yet, but there will be an end. >> are you counseling, loretta, are you counseling raquel to go through this again? what's your advice to her? you've been with her from the very beginning, i should mention. >> absolutely. i basically -- i'm here for a support system and i'm going to be here with her through the end, just like i have been all along. and basically whatever she decides, i'm going to stand by her and make sure that she gets the support like she's been getting, which is so very thankful to the judge and her decision and we really thank her for that decision. >> do you think she can endure, and i'm speaking about you as if you're not here, but do you think raquel can endure a trial again, knowing her? >> i think my niece is a very, very heroic young lady. she has been very, very strong, and she has made herself strong for her other two daughters, my other two nieces. and i just look at her as a

champion at this point. >> i know this case has brought out an outpouring of support. lilia just reported on that. is there a takeaway after all you've been through that i suppose to some degree compensating for you? is there any sort of peaceful place you can get to based on what's happened? >> yes. just the fact that the judge exercise such leniency in a situation, it gave me a hope that the justice system may not fail and the outpouring of support and everything has really been excellent throughout the situation and has helped hold me up and my family up. no one should go to the bottom. you have to go up. >> so you're going up. >> yes.

>> how long do you have to make your decision? >> i think a month. >> 30 days. >> yes. 30 days. >> all right. well, i guess we'll find out what you have to say. we look forward to hearing what your decision is. but no matter which way it goes, i can see that there's a smile on your face. >> yeah, yeah. >> which people have been wishing for you. raquel, thank you so much for speaking to us. loret loretta, thank you for speaking to us. now, let's get a check of the weather from al. >> thanks so much, ann. we've got a beautiful morning. blue skies. and we've got our friends from oswego, new york, harbor fest. >> starts tomorrow. >> starts tomorrow. >> through sunday. >> great festival if you're up in central new york, right on lake ontario, harborfest. let's show you what's happening as far as your weather is concerned. just off the western tip of cuba, things could become a tropical depression. it is moving west northwest at 15.

could move into the gulf and maybe bring some much needed rain to the gulf coast. look at these temperatures. hundreds continuing from texas on into oklahoma. 90s through the gulf coast. showers in the southeast. we're also a risk of strong storms in the mid mississippi river valley. the clouds in the pacific northwest. 73 in los angeles. 104 in phoenix, arizona. >> beautiful star as wednesday morning. winds that shifted to the north and northwest. still warm day, but it will feel better. high temperature in the upp >> don't forget you can check your weather any time of the day or night on the weather channel

on cable or weather.com online. ann? >> al, thank you. and coming up next, the 12-year-old who was accidentally shot by his brother with a bb gun. now the bb is lodged in his brain. it's a cautionary tale for parents, right after this. [ female announcer ] there's stuff around your house. but we don't make stuff. we make ovens. dual fuel double ovens. and they bake so evenly, so perfectly, that now, delicious is something you can depend on. we only make things for one room. the best room. your kitchen. we're devoted to it, delighted by it, and you can feel it in everything we make. nobody knows the kitchen like kitchenaid. for his dentist, the choice is clear. fact is, more dental professionals brush with an oral-b toothbrush than any other brush. trust the brush more dentists and hygienists use, oral-b.

like many chefs today, i feel the best approach to food is to keep it whole for better nutrition. and that's what they do with great grains cereal. see the seam on the wheat grain? same as on the flake. because great grains steams and bakes the actual whole grain. now check out the other guy's flake. hello, no seam. because it's more processed. now, which do you suppose has better nutrition for you? mmm. great grains. the whole whole grain cereal. and not because silverado's the most dependable, longest-lasting full-size truck on the road or because heavy duty made motor trend's 2011 truck of the year. no, it was good because you told us so. consider this a thank-you. the chevy model year wrap up. get in on our greatest model year yet. right now, combine the all-star edition discount with other offers for a total value of $6,000. our greatest model year yet is wrapping up.

[ birds chirping ] ♪ mmm! hot fudge sundae?!? ♪ new wild strawberry?!? ♪ [ female announcer ] over 25 flavors of kellogg's pop-tarts... and they're all for fun & fun for all. pop-tarts. made for fun.

we're back now at 7:43 with the mother's warning of the dangers of bb guns. this is a lesson she learned firsthand when one of her sons accidentally shot his older brother with a gun they thought was broken. jana has their story. good morning to you. >> matt, good morning to you. you can buy a bb gun at a store like this, but people often think of them as toys because you can also get them at places like department stores and because they're often used by kids. but this is not all fun and games. this morning a family's heartbreaking story and a warning to parents everywhere.

>> harder? >> yeah. >> reporter: he should be out swimming or playing with his friends, like any other 12-year-old on summer break. but instead, tommy gallagher is spending long exhausting days inside a rehab center, just trying to get his life back. >> it's frustrating because when i turn my arm to move, it doesn't move. and the same thing with my toes and my fingers and my thumb and my ankle. >> reporter: tommy lost movement in his left arm and leg after his 9-year-old brother accidentally shot him with a bb gun, just under tommy's eye. >> i heard a scream. it was like a scream i had never heard before. >> reporter: janice gallagher found the boys playing and frightened in their bedroom. she said there was blood but it looked like the bb had only grazed tommy. but the next day tommy said he couldn't move his arm or leg. a cat scan confirmed what doctors feared, the bb entered tommy's skull and now lodged on

the right side of his brain which controls the left side of his body. so deeply embedded there was more risk to his life by trying to get it out. it's considered inoperable. >> the guns are sold as toys but they're not toys, they're ep withes and can cause serious injury. they need to be locked up just like any weapon, a colt .38. >> reporter: tommy is regaining function but they don't know if he will fully recover. >> you've come a long way. >> reporter: his case is not an isolated one. last year more than 8,000 children and teens were injured by bb guns. >> i think parents are thinking of them as toys and they're letting their kids, like me, keep them in the house, and it's a weapon. there's a lot of damage that can be done, and tommy is obviously evidence of that. >> go, go, go, go, go. good job. >> reporter: small victories along the way. there are still weeks, perhaps months, of intense therapy still

ahead. a young life changed in a moment, amid a warning to all. and tommy's younger brother jamie who is 9 obviously feels terrible about what happened. now in the u.s. bb guns are not classified as firearms and in most states they are legal for all ages to use. but, matt, as we saw in this case, they can cause very serious damage. >> they sure can. important information. thank you very much. up next, we're going to go live to london as the city marks a year and counting for the 2012 olympic games. but first, these messages. [ male announcer ] this is the network. a network of possibilities. excuse me? my grandfather was born in this village. [ automated voice speaks foreign language ] [ male announcer ] in here, everyone speaks the same language. ♪ in here, forklifts drive themselves. no, he doesn't have it. yeah, we'll look on that. [ male announcer ] in here, friends leave you messages written in the air.

that's it right there. [ male announcer ] it's the at&t network. and what's possible in here is almost impossible to say. [ laughs ] this is it! [ all ] 10...9...8... a new school year has so much potential! any resolutions? my resolution is the same as always; keep her full and focused with my fiber. [ all ] 3...2...1... happy school year! [ female announcer ] this school year, make a resolution to give your kid kellogg's® frosted mini-wheats® cereal. an excellent source of fiber from 100% whole grain. that helps keep them full so they can focus on the day ahead. keeps 'em full... keeps 'em focused. if you have painful, swollen joints, i've been in your shoes. one day i'm on p of the world... the next i'm saying... i have this thing called psoriatic arthritis. i had some intense pain. it progressively got worse. my rheumatologist told me about enbrel. i'm surprised how quickly my symptoms have been managed. [ male announcer ] because enbrel suppresses your immune system,

it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. get back to the things that matter most. good job girls. ask your rheumatologist if enbrel is right for you.

to stay healthy. but did you know fiber choice can help support your overall well-being? every tasty tablet has prebiotic fiber from fruits and veggies... that lets your good bacteria thrive and helps support your immune system. fiber choice. an easy way to defend your health everyday. learn more about prebiotics and get a free sample at fiberchoice.com. back now at 8:49. you're looking live at london where exactly one year from today they will be getting ready for the opening ceremony, the 2012 olympics. the question this morning is how is the city fairing with just 365 days to go until it hosts the world's best athletes and

millions of fans. nbc's peter alexander has the lucky job of being in london this morning. pete, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. we hope the sun sticks around for another year as well. the folks here are saying that while the countdown is under way they are also bang-on schedule in terms of construction for next summer's games. the olympic stadium behind us is complete. the aquatic center is being unveiled for the first time today. laters this afternoon they will show the medals to be handed out that summer. as london likes to say, this city is ready for the greatest party on earth. surrounded by some of the world's most iconic landmarks, from big ben to buckingham palace, london's historic sideline is getting an olympic makeover, preparing to once again serve as an international stage. >> a big competition or a big sporting event, you know, we celebrate in the right way. >> reporter: among the heavily anticipated venues woven in the

british capital, the horse guard's parade. a site where billions watched william and kate ride home on their wedding day this spring will host beach volleyball next summer. today it's being prepped for a test event. more than 4,000 tons of sand will arrive just in time for what's being touted as the game's crown jewel, right on the queen's doorstep. >> what kind of challenge is this for you guys? >> putting it on the white house lawn, maybe, is about the same challenge. >> reporter: the upcoming games will make london the only city in the world to host the olympics three times. the first was 1908 and again 40 years later. this go-around athletes will compete in a total of 34 olympic venues, some like the lawns of wimbledon, home to tennis, are among the most celebrated sites in all of sports. many others, including the state-of-the-art aquatic center, are ready for their own shock to host history. in 2012, the new olympic

stadium, with rocks from the rising track sensation. >> what does it mean for a british athlete to perform in her first olympics on her home soil? >> you know what, it's a big thing for me, especially when i put that vest on. have the great britain supporters behind me. i'm excited. >> reporter: less than an hour away the american invasion has already begun. the white water center, home of the kayak and canoe event. when you look at this course and think a year out, what fires you up? >> i love this course. it's big white water, americans historically are good at white water. >> reporter: to test the waters and put one of the lead appreciated works to ourselves, brent kyle invited a novice on board. your best advice is what? >> the less you do, the better we are. >> the less i do the better we are? >> yes. >> appreciate that vote of confidence. come on!

oh, boy! oh! oh, boy. the real celebrations are still to come in a city that embraces the majesty of the old and the excitement of the new. >> we will do it in a way that we believe is spectacular and it will be spectacular. it's going to be great for the world to watch. it's going to be great for our children to watch. it's going to be exciting. ♪ >> reporter: that white watercourse, the u.s. canoe and kayak team tells us world class competitors usually finish that course in 1:45, maybe 2:00. for the record, we did it in 30 seconds but i'm told it's harder when you go around the gate. >> great shot. >> peter alexander, thank you so much. and still ahead, we're going to kick down our own countdown to london with the help of

michamik michael phelps and others. and a story that's going to generate a lot of comments. a husband and father of four labelled a sex offender. we're going to tell you how he landed on that list and the trouble it has caused. we will get your reaction. but first, your local news and weather. music(lyrics): ♪ whatever i have i'll share it. i'd love to give it to you. i can surely make do with less than two. and that's how sharing works. cause sharing means caring. and caring means sharing. and sharing means caring.♪ ♪ and that's how sharing works.♪ vo: bk minis are easy to share, ♪and that's how sharing works. vo: but that doesn't mean they're easy to share. ♪and that's how sharing works. get yours at burger king, before someone else does.

but it's our job to make them say something interesting. so how about this weekend we learn some new tricks of the trade... then break out our doing clothes and get rolling. let's use some paint that helps us get the job done in record time and makes a statement when we're finished. we're lowering the cost of a new favorite color. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. glidden premium paint has been rated a best buy, and you can only get it at the home depot.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 ns today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. time to get another check of the morning commute. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> we have good news to report on i-95 at fort mchenry. accident in the northbound direction. that is now clear. delays have dissipated as well. slow spots towards the 895 split. backtracking closures along joppa road between harford and avondale road. another one being reported at padonia road and deerco road. in cockeysville road and franklin valley circle, watch for an accident wrapping up

there. backed up out of owings mills, and 17 miles per hour, that delay stretches toward edmondson. live look at fort mchenry. not that now not -- that now. accident at perring parkway. they stretch back to belair road. tony has a check on your forecast. >> nice starts this wednesday. the humidity has come down. the upper 60s in the northern suburbs. mid-70's downtown. forecast for today, mostly sunny skies. still going to be one day, but it will feel comfortable. dew points in the 50's for most of the day. the heat is going to come back pretty quickly. 93 tomorrow. 99, maybe a hundred on friday. it should try out over the weekend.

it will stay in the 90's until sometime early next week. >> back at 8:25 with another of live update.

8:00 on a wednesday morning. it's the 27th day of july, 2011. cool and humid here in the new york city area. and loving it. we're going to get caught by the end of the week, but that's okay. enjoying this day. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry and mr. al roker. coming up, we've got a very interesting subject. what would it be like for you as a dad, for example, if you had to register with police to go on vacation or if you were banned from coaching your child's soccer team. >> experience for a texas father of four. he deals with that because he's a registered sex offendser, but there's a back story here because his crime is having sex with his future wife when he was

19 and she was just 16. he says the label has ruined his life, and we'll be talking to him and his wife coming up about it. >> what a controversial topic. changing gears. we have all done a cross word puzzle or two. never finished one. jenna bush hager caught up with a man behind some of the toughest cross word puzzles in the world, actually made a special "today" puzzle just for us. jenna is going to show us that in just a little bit. before we go any further, let's go inside. natalie morales standing inside at the news desk. >> the house could vote tomorrow on speaker john boehner's plan to temporarily raise the nation's debt ceil for six months to prevent a default. the vote was delayed so boehner would rework the plan. president obama already said he would veto it. police in norway detonated

the farm. officials believe breivik used fertilizer and a bomb set off in oslo last friday during a spilling spree that left at least 76 people dead. the former libyan intelligence agent convicted of killing 270 people on panam flight 103 over scotland back in 1988 appeared at a rally tuesday in support of embattled libyan leader moammar gadhafi. convicted bomber was released from a scottish jail back in 2009. he is said to be dying of prostate cancer. police in utah say three-time olympic freestyle skier jeret "speedy" peterson took his life monday in a remote canyon. he won a silver medal at last year's vancouver games with his patented hurricane whmaneuver. he was 29 years old. the florida judge who

presided over casey anthony trial ordered a three-month cooling off period before he will agree to make the names of anthony's jury public. he's working to ensure the juror's safety after some received death threats. and now here's brian williams with a look at what's coming up tonight on nbc "nightly news." brian? >> natalie, good morning. coming up tonight, first of all, we're in washington and tonight we're going to have the story of a great place for the great name closing down. walter reed treated so many of our soldiers, our presidents over the years. the story of this institution closing its doors. that and more when we see you tonight. >> all right, thank you, brian. and now for a look at what's trending today. what has you talking online, fans are choosing to remember singer amy winehouse through her music. the "back to black" album is back on the billboard top ten and online downloads of individual tracks are up 2,000% led by the single "rehab." football fans are googling

their favorite nfl team to learn about training camps, new players, and ticket sales now that it's over. the sales shot up 332% the day the lockout ended. and the debt crisis in washington is giving youtube regular a new lease into rap. ♪ >> need a little more hip-hop on the little? i don't know. sounds good. 8:04 right now. let's go back outside to al with a check of the weather. >> i can see senator reid and john boehner rapping. that could be good. we've got a cutie here. who is this. >> elizabeth. >> where are you from. >> georgia. >> how old is she? >> 1-year-old today. >> elizabeth, thanks so much. let's see what's happening for your weather today. pick city today happens to be pittsburgh, pa. wpxi 11, sunny, warm. high of 84 degrees today.

we have strong storms moving across minnesota and on into wisconsin with some torrential downpours. showers down through the gulf coast and the southeast. we're looking at beautiful weather through the west coast. 73 in los angeles today. risk of strong storms moving into chicago later tonight. 92. beautiful here in the northeast. 84 in boston. 86 degrees in new york city. dc going to be along the toasty side. temperature, 92 degrees. nice friends here at bieber fever on >> humidity has come down the last 24 hours. it will still be warm, but it will feel much better. a lot of sunshine in the forecast.

>> and that's your latest weather. ann? >> al, thank you so much. coming up next, we'll be talking about a controversy. a father of four labelled a sex offender because he slept with his now wife back in high school. details about that coming up right after this. ie-o took over a restaurant just for a day to show the world a better burger. now, millions of turkey burgers later, we're still out to win over burger lovers. woman: it's really good! man: the taste is great. ancr: st in time r the grilling season. n madelicious burger. the taste is great. maman, i'm on my third one right now. it's awesome. woman: i would definitely have a turkey burger again. man: this is fantastic. ancr: grilling season is here. so come on. make the switch. look for jennie-o at a store near you. and join us at switchtoturkey.com.

energy is being produced to power our lives. while energy developement comes with some risk, north america's natural gas producers are committed to safely and responsibly providing decades of cleaner burning energy for our country,

drilling thousands of feet below fresh water sources within self contained well systems and using state of the art monitoring technologies, rigorous practices help ensure our operations are safe and clean for our communities and the environment we are america's natural gas. special k protein shakes -- ♪ a truly great-tasting breakfast shake. with 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, it's the creamy, delicious way to satisfy... your hunger to help you lose weight. ♪ so you can kick the tin can habit. try special k protein shakes today. so you can kick the tin can habit. ♪ that comes from a leaf sweet surprise ♪rue love ♪ ♪ it's natural, guilt-free no artificiality ♪ ♪ it won't land on my hips or my thighs ♪

[ announcer ] truvia. honestly sweet. [ male announcer ] know the feeling? try acuvue® oasys brand contact lenses with hydraclear® plus for exceptional comfort. it feels like it disappeared on my eye! [ male announcer ] discover why it's the brand eye doctors trust most for comfort. acuvue® oasys brand. i thought i was invincible. i'm on an aspirin regimen now because i never want to feel that helplessness again. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. talk to your doctor,

and take care of what you have to take care of. we are back now at 8:09 with a husband and father of four in texas and the story behind how he landed on the sex offender registry. we're going to talk to him and his wife in a moment, but first, here's nbc's reporter. >> reporter: frank rodriguez was a husband, father of four, and also a registered sex offender. when you look up frank rodriguez, caldwell, texas. >> frank rodriguez, sexual assault of a child. >> we have to explain to our children why their daddy is a sex offender. >> reporter: why he's on that registry goes back more than 15 years, when frank was a high school senior, a football star in caldwell, texas, dating his then girlfriend nicky, a freshman cheerleader. >> it wasn't uncommon for freshmen to date seniors. >> reporter: but then the couple decided to take their

relationship to another level. >> we talked about it. we decided to have sex. >> reporter: frank was 19. nicky 15. but the age of consent in texas was 17. after an angry argument, nicky's mom reported frank to the authorities. he was arrested and charged with statutory rape as part of a plea deal to avoid jail time he pled guilty, was sentenced to seven years probation and had to register as a sex offender. >> i don't know what to do. i was like, wow, am i ever going to get to see her again? >> reporter: when nicky was old enough they got married. today they're together with their four girls, but frank still has sex offender status. he can't coach the girl's soccer team because he was near kids. >> i understand punishment, breaking the law. you have to be punished for it. but for the rest of your life? >> reporter: there may be hope for the family. starting in september texas will modify the sex aoffender law.

frank will be able to petition the state to get him off the registry. they say people across the country should look at sex offender law sdpls we may be concerned about kids from getting involved too young. >> reporter: in the eyes of the law what frank and nicky did years ago was wrong. they say if that's the case, they're certainly not alone. nbc news, caldwell, texas. >> frank and nicky rodriguez's story is detailed in this month's issue of "marie claire." they are here along the robin sacks, a sex crimes prosecutor and criminal defense attorney. good morning to all of you. this happened when your 19, you were 15. did you imagine when you went through this and lived through this episode in your life back at 19 years old that 15 or 20 years later this would still be something you were dealing with? >> no, i had no idea. i figured, you know, i would

have a probation period a few years. i had no idea it would follow me for the rest of my life. >> this has changed your life, the way you carry yourself, the way you present yourself to these and the way they present themselves to you. what's been the greatest impact? >> the greatest impact -- >> that you have to explain yourself to everyone that you meet, everyone that you come in contact with. wondering if people have seen him on the hedge industry. >> registry. >> talking about you behind your back. >> do all of your friends know about this or some might be finding out about this based on the magazine article and this interview? >> we thought that everyone knew. but once the article came out, we realized there were a lot of people in our hometown that had no idea. >> you have four children, frank.

they have friends. when their parents hear about this story, do you have people in your neighborhood who don't want their children to be around you? >> i haven't came across anybody who has said anything about it. i wouldn't know. >> we wondered at one time there was a neighbor whose kids came over every day to play and all of a sudden they just stopped coming. i wondered if they had -- >> kind of second-guessing you, u constantly find yourself doing. this story is going to generate a lot of comments. and there are going to be two sides to this. some people are going to say, yes, what happened back then was wrong. he did something that he should not have done, but it was consensual sex and people should be allowed to move on because they are a legitimate couple, they've gotten married and had four kids. and there are others who say, you know what, the law is the law is the law and he broke it and the law says he should register as a sex offender.

do you understand both sides of this? >> yeah, i understand both sides. >> it shouldn't be a one size fits all. >> so, in other words, the law in your opinion is being placed on this too specifically? >> yes. >> you're a former sex crimes prosecutor, robin. what's your opinion on this? >> i take issue, the law is not the law is the law is the law. there are people out there who have discretion and choices at enforcing the law, that's cops, das, judges. in a situation when i was in a da's office i would say this is a mom trying to use the legal system to parent instead of having a conversation. and once you open that pandora's box of the legal system then there are consequences and the consequence here has been a scarlet letter that is following him in a case where no one would expect someone in this situation to be registered. >> so you don't feel that he should be on the same list as someone who forcibly rapes a

woman or a child, which he's on the same list. >> that's exactly right. and the idea behind the list is it's supposed to show who the worst of the worse people out there. it's a tool that we as parents use to protect our kids and it's supposed to specify this person is a danger to our society, watch out. when someone is looking at that list they are not expecting mr. rodriguez to be there. >> all right. we're going to ask our audience what they think about this. and frank and nicky, i appreciate you being here. robin, as well. we're going to find out more about what our audience feels tomorrow. so the question is, do you think frank should be labelled a sex offender? logon to today.com. take part in our online poll. we'll share the results of that tomorrow morning. up next, jenna bush hager campes up with the king of cross words right after this. hi parents, it's going to be such a big school year. your kids will each take care of our class hamsters, lewis & clark. then i'll tell them the story of pluto, the sad little planet that was. i'll introduce them to some new friends, the fractions,

and some cold blooded ones, the dinosaurs. [sfx: dinosaur growl] clark! anyway, here's what they'll need: markers, scissors, crayons, pencils, folders, juice boxes, pretzel sticks, glue sticks, tape that sticks, and glitter. so much glitter. school takes a lot. target has it all. -why? -why? -why? [ female announcer ] we all age differently. roc® multi-correxion 4 zone moisturizer with roc®retinol and antioxidants. lines, wrinkles, and sun damage will fade. roc multi-correxion. correct what ages you.

how'd you learn to do that? what'd you use? every project we finish comes with a story built-in. it's how our rough ideas become "you did that yourself?" so when we can save more on the projects that let us fix, make, and do more... that just makes the stories even better. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. add some style to your sink, with this moen banbury faucet for the new lower price of 79 bucks. add some style to your sink, with this moen banbury faucet ♪ that comes fromove a little green leaf ♪ ♪ zero-calorie, guilt-free no artificiality ♪ ♪ my skinny jeans zipped in relief ♪ [ announcer ] truvia. honestly sweet. special k protein shakes -- ♪

a truly great-tasting breakfast shake. with 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, it's the creamy, delicious way to satisfy... your hunger to help you lose weight. ♪ so you can kick the tin can habit. try special k protein shakes today. so you can kick the tin can habit. ♪ hershey's chocolate syrup. stir up a smile. now's a great time to save big on a toyota the most fuel-efficient full-line automaker. take advantage of the summer's best selection and the year's biggest deals on our most popular models. don't miss the perfect opportunity to get the toyota you've always wanted. plus, every new toyota comes with toyotacare, a complimentary maintenance plan with roadside assistance. toyota's nationwide clearance event ends soon. hurry in today before time runs out!

♪ [ both ] you just said... [ both ] you go first. [ both ] no, you. [ both ] i was just saying... [ both ] we did it again. [ both ] miniature pony. [ both ] rubber bands. [ both ] an elephant has four knees. i think you're pretty. [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] introducing a brand-new taste in perfect harmony. mcdonald's new premium chicken sandwiches. a new chicken breast fillet with oven-roasted or home-style flavor on a new soft bakery-style bun. it's the simple joy of a delicious combination. ♪ back now at 8:20 with the fun and at times frustrating, the frustrating world of crossword puzzles. "today's" contributor correspondent jenna bush hager caught up with the true puzzle master. >> everybody loves a good puzzle. more than 50 million americans, at least occasionally, complete crosswords. i sat down with the king of the modern puzzle, will shorts, ak,

the editor of "the new york times" crossword to discuss, what else, all things puzzles. 7 down, 14 across, black and white grids in clever clues. those puzzlie ining and often challenging crossword puzzles. >> italian style. >> reporter: meet will short, editor of "the new york times" crossword since 1993. his name is synonymous with these puzzles. his icon status, an appearance on "the simpsons." >> "new york times" crossword editor will shortz. >> we're faced with problems every day in life. and we just mull through the best we can. the human puzzle like the crossword or a sunuku, when you fill in the last square, it's perfection. >> reporter: it first appeared in the new york world in 1913. it was also simon & schuster's

first published book, pencil included. arts and pop culture, shortz makes sure he stays current and playful. just this month, 23 across, matt in the morning. this one we know. l-a-u-e-r. shortz is a true word offe. >> i love to read them. i love to learn new words. my favorite new word is ucalegon. >> reporter: he's also the only person in the world who has a degree in nameatology, definition, all things puzzles. >> the course i took was on 20th century american word puzzles. >> a few raised eyebrows. >> what are you going to do with a degree in puzzles, yeah. >> reporter: he made a career in what most consider a hobby. it's only fitting that i ask

what inquiring people want to know. do you do it in pencil? >> pencil, daily newspaper, pen. >> i'm a mechanical pencil girl myself. what do you think about googling the answers, is that cheating? >> my answer is, it's your puzzle. sorvel it anyway you like. >> monday starts off a little easier and every day they get slightly harder? >> that's right. monday is the easiest puzzle on the week. friday and saturday is the hardest. saturday is the killer. >> reporter: for word wizards everywhere, they strength then memory. >> every time we engage our brain in a challenging activity, profound changes can occur. and it actually changes the physical structure of the brain, so it's so important to stay mentally active. >> reporter: and those with the puzzle addiction, there is a place for you. >> i'm whit from vancouver, bc. >> hi, i'm leslie, i'm from portland, maine. >> reporter: for nearly 175 years national puzzlers league

convention has brought puzzle enthusiasts together. >> a lot of people have said when they come to their first convention it's like finding a lost tribe. >> when you tell your friends in brooklyn, i'm going to a puzzling convention, what's the reaction you typically get? >> a little bit of eye roll. >> you can't necessarily get this in your real life. this group, this community satisfies a need, almost an itch, almost a compulsion that we can only really seek out with each other. >> reporter: more than just telling out letters and boxes, here's a hint to why they seek those challenges. >> you finish a tough puzzle, you feel you've succeeded, you've accomplished something, and you feel on top of the world for a few seconds before you go on to the next puzzle. >> and, you guys, will shortz created a puzzle just for us. >> wow.

>> yay. >> we thought maybe for all those puzzle solvers we could try to solve it right now. it's on our website as well. >> okay. >> if you miss these, you go -- >> it's monday. >> he played himself in 2009 in "land of the lost" where he ended up with a violent competition with will ferrell. >> oh, oh, oh. >> lauer. >> she began a news in the bronx and made her own clothes and made to dance. >> tap dance. >> that would be natalie. >> that's amazing. >> 48 across. she scored first place on her arizona bar exam in 2002. >> natalie. >> okay. >> savannah. >> let's go to 23 down. he once hosted the msnbc game show, "remember this." >> nobody does. >> and finally, in 2007, she bungee jumped off the transporter bridge in middl

middlesboro, england. >> why would you do that? >> no, no. >> top rated >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. time for a check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> let's give you an update of what to expect. joppa road and harford road, avondale, closures in effect due to accident in the clearing stages. york road, padonia road, another accident location to avoid. once you get to the west side, 19 miles per hour approaching 795 edmondson. inner loop delays towards liberty.

southbound 795 towards owings mills. off the rams from 795, congested on the outer loop. live view of traffic on perring parkway. holding on to the outer loop delays on the north side. tony, over to you. >> fine start this wednesday. humidity has come down the last 24 hours. even though the forecast is warm temperatures, it will still feel comfortable. 68 in parkton. forecast for today, mostly sunny skies. still close to 90, up east to route 90, but it will feel very comfortable. things will change quickly. wins it tomorrow will shift back to the south and humidity goes up. probably close to 100 on friday. heat index between 105 and 110. it should be dry over the weekend. it will stay warm. temperatures in the 90's. by early next week, will drop temperatures back into the 80s.

>> we will have another update at 8:55.

welcome to this wednesday morning, july 27th, 2011. have we mentioned 2012 olympic games is under way? now we have, the plaza has been taken over by some of the young men and women who are represented by states in london for those games. and in just a moment we're going to meet them. >> that's right. actually also speaking to the man i think you're going to be seeing in just a second, michael phelps right there.

he is coming from shanghai in china where he is competing in the world championships. we'll talk to him about that and get his thoughts on london as well. >> and then we're going to go inside for a great concert with a hard thriving rockers. >> by the way, this friday we have a concert to remind you about as well. all of you journey fans come on down, bring your '80s self down to our plaza because journey is going to be here. >> but first, america votes. >> there are choices for songs for you to pick for them to play. "separate ways," "faithfully," and "lights." text your choice to 622639. voting ends today at noon eastern time. >> but let's welcome oscar winning actress rachel. good morning. >> good morning. >> new movie is called "the whistle-blower." rachel, this movie is already

getting oscar buzz. how do you feel about it? >> i'm really excited for people to see it. it opens up in less than a week. it's a thriller. it's one of my favorite kind of genres because it's a thriller much of the same of erin brockovich because it's an ordinary woman doing an extraordinary thing. >> ordinary woman is from nebraska, a police officer. she ended up becoming a peacekeeper in bosnia and uncovered something dramatic involving the united nations. do you want to give us a hint? >> she went over to earn some money. she was hired by a private contractor company working for the u.n. she went out there to help the people there. she uncovered a huge scandal and as it unraveled she goes deeper and deeper into the layers of corruption. it involved a sex trafficking scandal. pretty intense stuff. >> in fact, you got the script when you were pregnant with your

child a while ago. >> yes. >> and at that time it was too much for you to take on. so what brought it back? why did you want to do this? >> i did read the script in 2 6 2006. i was pregnant with my son. and it was too -- i couldn't at that moment. but it's one i never forgot about it. two years ago i called that producer who i knew and i said you know that script, does it still exist? he said, yes. it kind of came back to me like that. it just stayed with me. >> you are so good in this film. >> not being from this country, challenge being a midwesterner? >> really big heavy boots help. it's based on her and i got to hang out with her and kind of channel her experience. >> british. >> really bad. >> thank you so much. it's called "the

whistle-blower." thank you for being here. we want to mention it's opening in new york and in los angeles on august 5th. >> okay. mr. roker, how about a check of the weather? >> all righty. for today, beautiful weather here in the northeast. risk of strong storms in parts of nebraska and wisconsin. clouds in the pacific northwest. for tomorrow, rain continues in the gulf coast. slight risk of strong storms stretching from the dakotas all of the way back into michigan and parts of ohio. beautiful weather here in the northeast. going to be a little warmer. heat really returns in the mid atlantic states. sizzling down through the southwest into texas. >> beautiful star as wednesday morning. winds that shifted to the north and northwest. still warm day, but it will feel better. high temperature in the upp

>> don't forget you can check your weather any time of the day or night at the weather channel on cable or weather.com. >> thanks, al. coming up, a familiar face. talking about michael phelps who is helping us kick off our countdown to the london olympics. now it's just a year away. but first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪

[ female announcer ] have you ever seen a glacier while sunbathing? why not? have you ever climbed a rock wall in the middle of the ocean? or tried something really wild? why not? it's all possible in the nation of why not. royal caribbean's floating nation. where you are free to do anything you want. which may be nothing at all. royal caribbean international. why not cruise from baltimore? visit royalcaribbean.com today.

we're back now at 8:37 with the count down to london. as we mentioned, the 2012 olympic games get under way a year from right now. our plaza has been taken over by gymnasts hoping to earn a trip to london. we're going to talk to them in a moment. but first, let's head to hang

high where one of the most decorated olympians of all time is helping us celebrate. michael phelps is in china for the world championships. michael, good to see you. >> thank you. how are you, matt? >> i'm doing well, michael. we have a huge satellite delay, so let me first say congratulations. you just got out of the pool after competing in the 200 meter butterfly. an events that you won. were you please with your performance? >> i was. you know, i think so far it's been, i guess, a pretty good meet. i'm making steps in the right direction to get me ready for next year, and something i'm very pleased about. >> do you think you will or live, michael, in london with the olympic games with the same amount of attention that you were receiving before beijing and with the same size target on your back that you had before those games?

i don't know. you know, i think that's just a question that will be answered with time. you know, i think right now, i think i'm more relaxed than i was leading into 2008. i think i'm just enjoying everything. i'm having fun. taking everything in for the last year. >> the program that you set up for yourself and decided to go after in beijing is hard and it took an enormous toll. i know. i spent some time with you there. it took a toll both physically and emotionally. are you gearing up for anything close to that in london? it won't be it but i think after this week i will be able to have some kind of idea of what kind of schedule i'm going to do. you know, i think after this, it will give me a better idea of where we stand and what we need to change going into next year. >> i want to just make sure i understand your competition for

london. i saw a picture that i think was taken a little bit earlier, michael, of you in a warm-up pool. i want to put that up for our audience. it shows you wearing, i think that's an australian swimsuit. you will be competing for the u.s. in 2012, right? >> come on. i will. it was funny. i had no suit, no warm-up suit yesterday, and amman sullivan, an australian competitor, a friend of mine, you know, had -- he had one and i was kind of late getting in the water so i just kind of sucked it up and put it on and tried to take care of what i had to do. >> and i have a feeling that's not the last time you're ever going to see that photo. michael phelps joining us from shanghai where he's competing in the world championships. michael, always good to see you. thanks for joining us. you can catch the world

championships from sha championships from shanghai this saturday and sunday on universal 130r9s sports. in the meantime, the u.s. gymnast ticks team has high hopes in 2012. right now you're looking at 23-year-old, boston native. she won a silver in the competition in beijing. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> that was amazing. you came out to compete with the london games. what sparked that decision? >> i competed in 2008 in beijing and i didn't have my personal best performance so i decided to come back and give it one more go until i was too old. >> too old, you're just 24 years old. but that's old for this sport? >> it is. peak age is 16 to 18. i'm a little bit over the hill. >> come on. look at those arms. you make me want to workout. you did well at the most recent championships. how did that help your confidence? >> it was great. my first competition back from

the olympics i won vault, we got silver as a team. it was a successful trip. >> you want to have some fun this time at the olympics, right? the whole nine yards. >> i do want to have some fun. >> thank you so much for talking to us. good luck to you. we're rooting for you. thanks so much for being with us this morning. and now, let's go to natalie. >> thank you, ann. jonathan horton has been training for london. in 2008, won a silver on the horizontal bar and was a member of the men's team and won bronze. since then he's graduated from college, gotten mards. good morning. glad to have you here. >> great to be here. i'm excited. >> you silver medal in beijing, most recently with medals at the world, america cup, back-to-back u.s. all around title. how hungry are you for gold in london? >> very hungry. we've got a really packed couple of months coming up.

next 12 months before the games are going to be crazy. we're going to be back here in new york for the at&t america cup. i'm excited. got a lot of big things before london. >> you've got a year to get ready for it. meanwhile, you actually got married right after the beijing olympics to a doctor. so always good to have a doctor, especially in your line of work, in the family, right? >> absolutely. my wife works very hard. it's great to have her as a support system, i support her in what she does, through medical school. it's great. >> how has it changed how you are as a competitor, being married? >> you know, it's -- luckily she's a gymnast. >> she gets it. >> she gets it. she understands the train that goes into it. and she's just there to, like i said, be my support system and, you know, it's great to have my wife to help me out. >> do you want to show me something? i'm going to come over here. of course, women don't compete in the pummel, but what's the trick?

i got this. savannah, over to you. >> all right, natalie. courageous. >> up on the beam right now is jordan from michigan. she is 16 years old, got to enter her junior year in high school. earlier this year she won the all around title of the 2011 american cup, first team international gymnastics competition. jordan, come on down here. you look great. congratulations. i know you dominated junior gymnast ticks. how did that feel to compete against some of the best gymnasts in the world? >> it was so much fun. it was my first meet as a senior. i wanted to come out strong. i feel like i did that. >> you got to be a junior in high school. did the kids at school treat you differently after you came back with a medal? >> people saw it on tv, it was cool. it was great to come back and get the congratulations. >> you've been a gymnast since you were 4 years old. you like the competition? does it scare you? or do you thrive on it?

>> i thrive on the competition. i love competing and showing off what i train every single day. so much fun. >> do you have a favorite event? >> beam is definitely my favorite event. i like going up there and competing on all of it. >> and were you excited about possibly going to london? how hard will you be working in these next few months? >> i'll be working very hard. definitely trying to get all the difficulty execution in my routines and preparing for the championship this summer. that's an important goal of mine. >> i hear you love pedicures. i hear gymnast ticks is tough on the toes. find a pedicure place in london? >> definitely. >> great to see you. we obviously hope all of our athletes make it through the olympics. the next big competition is actually going to be the american cup -- excuse me, yes, the championships on nbc on august 20th. live coverage begins on that saturday. thank you so much. and coming up, a live performance from three doors

down. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

the toyota concert series on "today" brought to you by toyota. >> mississippi rocker three doors down have sold more than 16 million albums worldwide. their newest relief "time on my life" is adding to that total and quickly climbing the charts. three doors town, pat arnold, todd harold, chris henderson and krig upchurch on drums. good morning. great to see you here. time of your life, are you still having the time of your lives? >> we are, man. having the time of our lives. just getting better. >> 15 years. when you look at a lot of bands they have trouble surviving together more than two or three years. you guys have had your ups and downs. what makes it work with this group? >> you know what makes it work with this group is we're all

brothers. we've all grown up together and from the same hometown in mississippi. there's not a guy in this band, aside from the drummer and i've known him long enough, we've all known each other so long i don't remember not knowing them. we all played tee ball together. i can't imagine doing this with anybody else except my brothers. >> when you look back over 15 years what are you most proud of? >> i think the thing i'm most proud of is our fans. we have the best fans in the world. as far as something we've accomplished as a band is a better life foundation. we've been -- we're the catalyst for it but it still all comes from our fans. we've had a chance to do a lot of good things for people down on the mississippi gulf coast and we've watched a lot of things come out of that situation. >> what are you going to sing for us now? >> "every time we go," which is a new single off of our new album "the time of our life." >> all right. ladies and gentlemen, three doors down.

♪ ♪ ♪ every time you go you take a part of me ♪ ♪ a part of me ♪ every time you go i feel it in my soul ♪ ♪ every ♪ every yeah ♪ every time you go i'm where i used to be when you were in my arms ♪ ♪ every time you go you te a

part of me ♪ ♪ a part of me ♪ every time you go ♪ i count the days back again ♪ back you're by my side ♪ i hear your voice over the phone ♪ ♪ and god i miss you ♪ through all these miles away from home that i never get used to ♪ ♪ every time you go you take a part of me ♪ ♪ a part of me with you ♪ every time you go ♪ i feel it in my soul ♪ every every ♪ every time you go before it

used to be ♪ ♪ you were in my arms ♪ every time you go you take a part of me ♪ ♪ a part of me with you ♪ i'm there with you in your heart no matter how far apart we are ♪ ♪ you're with me everywhere you go ♪ ♪ every time you go you take a part of me ♪ ♪ a part of me with you ♪ every time you go ♪ i feel it in my soul ♪ every time you go you take a part of me ♪ ♪ a part of me with you ♪ every time you go i feel it in

my soul ♪ ♪ every time you go ♪ before it used to be ♪ you were in my arms ♪ every time you go you take a part of me ♪ ♪ a part of me with you ♪ every time you go >> 3 doors down, the new album is called "time of my life." we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

7,000 of you have gone on to our website to cast your opinion or give your opinion on that story about frank rodriguez who has been labelled a sex offender. a lot of people. we're going to have more on the results of that tm on our show. >> that's a reaction just in the last 20 minutes. he was on the broadcast. that's pretty quickly. >> also talking about something else coming up just ahead, how to talk to your doctor about the most embarrassing health concerns you have. >> plus, from whitening teeth to banishing dark circles. the beauty uproducts that reall work, after your local news.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here's a look at one of our top stories. an early-morning house fire in baltimore sun's one person to hospital. fire crews responded to a rowhome just after 3:00. a 24-year-old woman inside the home suffered burns to the handed she was taken to johns hopkins bayview. no one else was hurt. no word on the cause of fire.

>> now let's look at the forecast with tony pann. looks good outside. >> you are correct. the dew points have gone down the last couple of hours still.

a warm day, but it will feel comfortable because of the change in the humidity. seven-day forecast, things are going to change as we head into the weekend. winds will shift to the south. 93 tomorrow. 99 or 100 on friday. 30% chance for an afternoon thunderstorm. temperatures in the 90's. by early next week, we will drop back into the 80s. >> we will have another